The 16-year-old royal is making a name for herself on the diving circuit, and this week represented Monaco at the Youth Olympic Games in Singapore.

Despite having plenty of support from the stands, Pauline looked a little nervous as she prepared to compete in the three-metre springboard diving competition.

Cheering on the pretty brunette were her uncle Prince Albert of Monaco, her half-sister Camille and her parents, Daniel Ducruet and Stephanie, who admitted to being just as nervous as the talented teen.

"I am just a good old mum," the princess said as the contest got underway. "I am here for my daughter."

No-one was more delighted when Pauline made it through to the finals after coming in tenth in the preliminary round. She eventually finished in 12th place.

The 45-year-old and her ex husband Daniel – Albert's former bodyguard who has two children, Louis and Pauline, from his marriage to the princess – both leapt up to give her congratulatory hugs.

The pressure of competitive sport is familiar to Monaco's royal family.

Prince Albert, whose fiancéeCharlene Wittstock swam for South Africa in the 2000 Summer Olympics, has taken part in the bob-sleigh at five winter Olympics, and her great grandfather John Kelly – father of grandmother Grace – won three gold medals for rowing.

Meanwhile, Pauline, who started diving four years ago and hopes to compete in the 2010 Olympic Games, is said to have developed a bit of a crush on 16-year-old English diver Tom Daley.

The British hopeful also competed on Monday but missed out on a medal, coming ninth while recovering from a tricep injury.

The pair met in Germany two years ago while competing in the World Junior Diving Championships – and Tom's dad Rob claimed his son had caught the young royal's eye.

"I tried speaking to Tom about it as I was taking him to training but he didn’t really want to make much more it," he said at the time.

"I don’t know who introduced who to who, but she definitely has got a crush on him. Tom said to me 'She fancies me'. I don’t know what she said to him though."